Scholz and Modi discuss India as mediator in Ukraine war

The Resurgam Telegram channel writes about this.

On the same day Scholz met Modi in India, a working meeting took place in Ukraine between Ukrainian and Indian officials to discuss potential defense industry cooperation. Ukraine’s Minister of Strategic Industries, Smetanin, met with the Indian Ambassador and Naval Attache. According to the ministry’s portal, they explored collaboration opportunities between Ukraine and India in defense.

According to the post, Scholz's previous ambiguous statements, which at times seemed like indirect support for the Chinese proposal, sparked criticism from his coalition allies at home and from partners across the EU. Now, Scholz is trying a different path. During his visit to New Delhi on Saturday, he and Modi discussed the idea of India acting as a "mediator in the diplomatic settlement of the war." 

On one side, bringing in India is an intriguing option. On the other, it's risky, given India’s close ties with Moscow. But it might just be worth the gamble, the author believes.

Firstly, Scholz avoids backlash from his allies by pushing for "India" as a mediator rather than "China." Meanwhile, he's sticking to his main political goal: de-escalation in Ukraine.

Secondly, Zelenskyy already suggested a diplomatic role for India during Modi’s visit to Kyiv. This could boost India’s international standing, but might require New Delhi to curb its "oil cooperation" with Moscow to truly play the role of mediator — a condition hinted at by Ukraine.

Thirdly, India isn't exactly interested in helping China’s diplomatic standing. There’s a difference between what India and China say about each other and what they actually do. While Scholz’s motives are driven by his own political agenda, a German-Indian partnership could counter the China-Brazil-Moscow alignment, which is certainly intriguing. The key is for European voices, particularly Germany’s, to bring in Ukraine's perspectives. Politically, a Scholz-Modi alignment is less risky for Ukraine than a Scholz-Xi partnership.

Moreover, the fact that Ukraine was the first to encourage India to "step up on the global stage" gives this plan extra weight. Combined with Scholz's new interest in promoting India, with some smart planning, this could help counter the "Chinese plan." If successful, it could push Moscow to downplay India's diplomatic moves, which might even cool relations between Moscow and New Delhi, the post concludes.